Kingdom Hearts: Arisen
by Alex - Alexis Dawneye
Summary: Kingdom Hearts exists in our universe, and the story of the Needle of Fate, a newly formed Keyblade Wielders group is followed.
1. KHA Introduction

Introduction

Greetings, reader. It's of the utmost importance that you understand the world that this story is set in. We simply cannot plunge you into this without a slight background. Now that that awkward moment is out of the way, let's get down to business.

The world of Kingdom Hearts: Arisen is extremely similar to ours, as it is nearly EXACTLY the same. The only difference is that Kingdom Hearts exists inside of it. Unfortunately, this also means that the Heartless and Organisations have sprung up around, with different factions of the same sides competing against each other and all the other factions. This extends to the Unversed and Keyblade Wielders as well.

If you're wondering why the Dream Eaters aren't in this story (at the point this introduction was written), it is because the author hasn't played Dream Drop Distance.

There are three "Most Popular" factions of each side, and as a matter of convenience, they will be listed below. These are not the only ones, but they are the most well known. It isn't common for friends to join up and create their own!

After reading, if you wish to have a character included in one of them, be sure to send me a message at alexisdawneye . My sister will get the message and relate it to me!

-Divine Prince, Alex Dawneye

Heartless:

the Dark Knights - led by Zetta () monarchal system () weapon: scythe, sword

the Blood Princes - led by Rarim () patriarchal system () weapon: blood

the Moon Witches - led by Marionette () matriarchal system () weapon: puppets

Nobodies:

the Neo-Organization - led by Vexnir )( rank system )( weapon: elbow blades

the Organization II - led by Rexylt )( rank system )( weapon: duality-broadsword

Organization - led by Xhalliat )( combat rank system )( weapon: charm bracelets

Keybladers:

the Light Heralds - led by Serani ( [-]===M ) diplomatic system (M===[-] )

Keepers of Balance - led by Mae-Lee ( [-]===M ) rank system (M===[-] )

Dark Powers - led by Veranis ( [-]===M ) patriarchal system (M===[-] )

Unversed (Creators of):

*the Unversed Creators are scattered throughout the world, and exist by themselves, as the Unversed they create would destroy each other.

Bulleria - creates Unversed of Disease

Narkalepset - creates the Unversed of Sleep

Khaos - creates the Unversed of Destruction


	2. KHA 1

Kingdom Hearts Arisen: Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts brand, any canon characters who may be referenced, or have any affiliation with Square Enix, Disney, etc. I'm simply borrowing the toys, and promise to clean them up before I give them back!

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PAGE 48,321, SECTION 4, PARAGRAPHS 1,2,3,4

_The light from Serani's keyblades flashed in the dim light as he fought with Khaos Prime, the Keyblade Ballerina and the Architect of Destruction performing a deadly dance. The Unversed that sprung up around Khaos Prime were quickly dispersed by the Keyblades and chakram floating around Serani's waist, giving neither side a clear advantage._

_Two other battles took place at the same time, with Narkalepset Prime ravaging the shields of Fayne and Tremula, sending wave after wave of strong magicks and Unversed at them. They pushed back, but their progress was slowed to a crawl. The Queen of Dreams could only hold back the Samurai Wielder and the Blade of Fate.._

_Meanwhile, Isfet and Mystaya made steady progress against Bulleria Prime, Mystaya's healing magick's fighting off the deadly fumes and puddles that surrounded them. The King of Disease's power was a match for the Dancer of the Tides, and the presence of the Herald of Truth would decide the battle, but for which side remained to be seen._

_The rest of the war continued to rage around them, but the sheer aura of power these battles created was enough to deter even the bravest of warriors from joining them. Though it was not spoken, it was known by all that the outcomes of these fights would decide the fate of the world._

My name is Alex, and I am a Keyblade Wielder. Well...I'm kinda new at it. I live in Virginia, outside of a little town called South Hill. Technically, I live in some place called "Brodnax". I'm not really familiar with the location of this place, having moved around so much in my life.

My mum works at the prison for normal people, as a "correctional officer". I suppose that means she's just a guard. My brothers, Ty and Matt, are still in school...and neither of them are Keyblade Wielders. I've just graduated high school, and I'm getting ready for my Specialisation Ceremony.

You see, when you turn thirteen, you get your keyblade (if you're lucky enough to be a Wielder). The keyblade everyone starts out with is Kingdom Key, unless you're one of the exceedingly rare people who start out specialised.

The only problem with the Specialisation Ceremony is that you need five Wielders to do it, and I only know three...besides myself. There's Jalisa, me, Dominic, and Andre. They got lucky...they're related. Only one of them didn't get a Keyblade.

My brother Ty is extremely jealous of me, though my brother Matt isn't. I tried to let him use it some, but he can't even get close to touching my Keyblade. He's constantly complaining about how unfair it is, but I can't do anything about it.

Besides searching for our fifth, my group is fighting Heartless whenever they show up near our town. We're the only Wielders around the town, which means we're constantly on call.

We used to have a dedicated radio channel for when Heartless would invade, but we managed to work out a deal with the mayor. Now we have a Powerpuff Girls situation. Each of us has a buzzer that we keep close buy, and whenever the people on watch see Heartless, we get buzzed in.

Fortunately, even though Dominic and I have graduated, we get to hang out around the high school, mostly to protect the students. Andre and Jalisa only have to take about three classes, which makes all the other kids jealous. Turns out Heartless are extremely attracted to adolescents...something about our hearts being stronger, or more filled with light.

Even more fortunate with that, we'll never have to pay for college, if we decide to go. Keyblade Wielders are pretty important in America, although I'm not sure if the same can be said around the world. Even the President of the States has a guard of three Masters in his personal guard.

That's the hope of every Wielder, I guess. Being a Master shows everyone that you've got the kind of control and power that others could only dream of. I know that my friends and I all share the dream of becoming Masters. We've spent plenty of time wondering about which type of Master's we're going to bcome.

See, there are four different types of keyblades, and thus there are four different kinds of keyblade Masters. There are those who work with Light and Darkness, and those that keep the peace between the two of them. The last is those that simply have a lust for power, and they are the most feared and respected.

Today's the day before my seventeenth birthday, meaning it's also Halloween Eve. Whoopee. I glared at the girl who was strutting past Andre again, flipping her hair so pretentiously. He was practically drooling over her, and he was ignoring the fact that we were on watch. I snorted, and turned my attention back to Zach, my friend who had been talking to me for the past two minutes.

"So, are you coming to school tomorrow in costume? I still have my Axel cosplay, if you want to come as Roxas." Seeing as Halloween always seemed to fall on a Friday in the school year, we were allowed to come in costume. I grinned. I'd bought the costumes for us with some of the Munny that was only accepted from Wielders in society. It was a tradition that we had followed since I'd gotten my keyblade, and since he'd failed to get one. Even now he looked at my keyblade, which I keep strapped on my back during school hours, every once in a while with a kind of longing. It had put a bit of a strain on our friendship, but working through it has been my main priority.

"Eh, why not. I just hope the cloak won't confuse anyone. Mayor's been kinda anal lately about setting 'boundaries' in our look. I think if he would have his way, all of us Wielders would be dressed like bloody Superman." He chuckled, and looked me up and down, rubbing the little goatee of stubble on his chin thoughtfully.

"Nah, I don't think you'd do too well in red tights." I punched him softly in the arm, and did another 360 sweep. Andre had managed to wipe the spittle off of his chin, and was heading to the back hall for his patrol. Dominic was talking to Jalisa in an undertone, presumably giving his report.

"Well, come on. If you're going to get out of class to help me, then you're going to help me." He was much more observant than I, which is why I'd taken him on as my watch partner. That and the fact that he had the sixth sense when it came to Heartless. He could tell when they were about to show up, but only on a small scale. "Anything?"

He knew what I was talking about and closed his eyes, lifting his hands to shoulder level. His hands trembled slightly, but it was just his nervous energy, not the wild shaking that normally would precede an attack.

"Nothing, Alex." I nodded, but he walked with me anyway, just in case.

"You're getting better, Zach. You used to pass out whenever you tried to sense. Now you can do it on command." He nodded, but kept silent, thinking something through.

"What am I going to do after you're Specialized, Alex? I can't exactly just drop everything and follow you." He frowned, his voice extremely disappointed. "I can't believe this is the first time I've thought of this."

"I have." Zach looked at me with a hurt, shocked look. "And I may not be able to take you with me, Zach. It's why I keep pushing you so hard to do well in school. You can still choose between being a telepath, or with using telekinesis. That means brains or body. Either way, you have potential, and you'll never have to tell anyone about your powers."

"Well, it seems as if today is Alex Makes Speeches Day. You normally don't string together ten words." He was right I suppose. Everyone else likes to talk a lot, but I don't see the need to. "Besides, I'm leaning towards Telepathy. It seems like a much more useful skill." We'd been through this, discussing pros and cons, and although I prefered Telepathy, Zach had always been a Telekinesis type of person.

"What made you change your mind?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted confirmation.

He grinned, and said, "I thought it would be pretty obvious." He looked repeatedly at his feet, then me, and I nodded. It always happened that way, with anyone. If I thought something was better, they tended to change their mind to agree with me. Dominic and Andre thought it was useless, but Jalisa saw the devastation my...er..."power" could cause, and agreed that I should be hesitant to use it. However, Zach seemed more attuned to it, and would change to my slightest whim.

"Come on, let's go." We walked outside, and I glanced around the grounds, and saw a small group of Shadows. Zach thought he'd seen them first, and tapped my shoulder, pointing towards them. I nodded, and he set off towards the school, going to report to Jalisa. I reached back and pulled my keyblade out of the strap, and sprinted towards the Heartless, jumping over the large tree root in the way.

They spotted me quickly and three sunk into the ground, surging towards me. The rest began their jumpy, erratic movements, running on their stubby legs. The first reached me, and I swung hard, slashing through its body and making a complete turn. The other Shadows surrounded me, and I took my normal fighting position, my keyblade pointed towards the ground and away from myself, like I had seen Aqua do in Birth By Sleep.

I did a quick look around, and counted fourteen...easy enough. One in front of me jumped, and I brought my keyblade up, slashing through its body and turning to hit one behind me. I kept up my turning and slashing, and managed to take out most of them. One jumped and scratched my back though, tearing through my shirt.

I concentrated, but didn't feel any broken skin, so I glared at it, and pointed my keyblade directly at him. A bright beam of white light shot from the end and began to slowly burn the Heartless' body. I focused, and it continued, burning inch by inch on the Shadow.

"Alex!" I blinked, and my concentration wavered. The beam slipped upwards, and the Heartless dissolved into shadow. I turned around to see Zach, Andre, and Dominic running towards me. "What were you doing?"

I turned away, and Zach put his hand on my shoulder. "It's just a shirt, man." I sighed, and nodded. He raised his hands again, and closed his eyes. "There's more around. Andre go south, Dominic head towards the gym, and Alex stick with me." Domincic and Andre nodded, and headed off. Zach had proved himself time and again, and we had no reason to doubt him. "This way, Alex. I've got your back. It's time for me to test my psychic powers."

We headed farther north, further into the grounds, between the main building and the outer two, heading towards the rear grounds. We went down a small path into the woods, and Zach turned his head, his eyes closed. "Oh, God, Alex." He pointed, and I saw several Neoshadows crowding around a girl with dyed hair. Even as we watched, more popped up out of nowhere, and surged towards the girl, even more Neoshadows and some other large Heartless that I didn't know.

"Zach, get Jalisa out here, now!" I ran towards the girl, stepping on the back of a Neoshadow and launching into the small circle around her. I blinked in surprise, she had a keyblade, too! She was obviously still new with it, at least inexperienced with fighting.

"Oh, thank Isis! I thought I was going to have to go at this alone!" She swung awkwardly, connecting with a Neoshadow but not destroying it. "I just moved here, and I decided to do some exploring. My mother said school is supposed to be around here somewhere, but I can't seem to ever find it!" Her voice was high, and sweet sounding. She swung again, even as I jabbed at a large Heartless with a big stomach. My blade skewed sideways, and I fell off balance. "Watch it!" She swung her blade around, and managed to knock away a Shadow that had lunged for me while I was off balance.

"Thanks." I stood back up, and went back to back with her. A mimic Heartless went to stand in front of me, one of the few smart enough to be able to speak. It had taken the form of the girl I was protecting, albeit a deep purple version.

"Give up, Keyblade Wielders, your demise is imminent." The voice was distorted and warped, sounding like someone had hit an altering key on a recording of the girl's voice. It held a plain sword, as no Heartless can copy a keyblade.

"No." The Heartless paused, turning its head slightly, looking at me. "You don't want to fight us. You want to help us." It shuddered slightly, a confused look in it's bright yellow eyes. "You hate Heartless. You want to attack them." It looked at us and then turned, starting to attack the other Heartless, along with several Neoshadows. I was glad Jalisa wasn't here. She would have given me a really disapproving look, but it couldn't be helped.

The girl shot me a surprised look, but quickly turned back. "Cold!" She swung her keyblade in a horizontal arc in front of her, and a flurry of razor-sharp icicles flew outwards at the Heartless, tearing their bodies where they hit. "Sorry, I'm a battlemage. I'm not exactly the best at physical-" She grunted, and swung around again, sending another flurry out. "Physical fighting."

" 'S fine." It seemed as though for every one we destroyed, two more would pop up.

"Alex!" Jalisa was running back with Zach, and I groaned inwardly. I had meant for him to tell her though his powers. But it seemed as though he hadn't figured that out. She jumped incredibly high, and somersaulted into the circle. "Let's go!" She held her keyblade backhand, and, after sparing a surprised look at the girl, began to work on the Heartless.

Zach stayed on the outside, trying not to draw attention to himself, but I could see where he was attacking. Sometimes Heartless would drop randomly, spasming in pain before dissolving. It was wearing him down, though, and I could see where he was getting tired.

"Don't kill yourself, Zach!" The last thing I needed was for him to get burned out, and I began working twice as hard, slashing all around me in a wild frenzy.

"Alex, careful!" Jalisa snapped me out of it, and I began to notice where my sleeves were torn and my leg was bleeding. I jumped back and cursed. I was out of potions.

"I'm falling back!" I began to fall back, but the girl turned to me, and raised her hand.

"Heal!" A flurry of pink leaves fell around me, and I felt the pain in my legs, arms, and back disappear, and saw my wounds closing up. "I'm running low on mana. Anyone have ethers?" I smiled halfway, and tossed the small blue phial towards her.

"Thanks." I lunged again, and I could see where the crowd of Heartless was thinning. Suddenly, they all fell backwards, their bodies merging. Then a great big Heartless stood in front of us, a giant heart shaped hole in his chest.

"Alex! Zach! Jalisa!" Andre and Dominic ran up, their keyblades brandished. Andre carried his with both hands, and Dominic had his slung over his shoulder, his keyblade a bit longer than the rest of ours. I noticed that the girl's was shorter, and began to think keyblade length may effect magickal ability.

We all stood in a loose line, and I grinned. If this girl could stick around, we may have found our fifth. Suddenly, it was as if everyone knew what to do. Zach raised his hand, and the giant heartless stumbled to one knee, clasping its head with its hands. Unfortunately, Zach fell down, and I knew he was burned out, but I could tell that it was temporary.

We all ran forward, and the girl jumped up, and shouted, "THUNDER!" A large bolt of lightning came down, striking the back of the Heartless' neck. Jalisa and I jumped up, then I pushed off from his knee and swung twice, slicing at his shoulders and cutting them off. Jalisa swung at his knee, and cut through, causing the Heartless to fall down.

Andre and Dominic nodded, then jumped, swinging their keyblades in an 'X' formation. The Heartless' head dissolved, then the rest of the body did as well. We panted, everyone exhausted, and walked together. The Heartless were gone, and we had won. I smiled at the girl, and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Raynaria-Jewel. Rayne for short." She smiled, and said, "My mom admits to being a bit out of it when she chose my name." I grinned, and turned to Zach. I wouldn't be able to lift him myself, so I looked at Dominic, and he sighed.

"What do I look like? Some sort of human lifting machine?" I grinned, and he came over and lifted Zach up, hauling him up over his shoulder.

I went back to Rayne, and said, "Alex, Jalisa, Andre, Dominic." I pointed to each of us as I said our names, and nodded.

"You don't talk too much, do you, Alex?" She grinned, and said, "Nevermind. It doesn't matter, the way you fight. I swear, you probably took out three times as many as the rest of us."

Jalisa nodded, and said, "Alex and Dominic are our best two, by far. You're not a slouch of a mage yourself, Rayne."

Andre piped in, saying, "So she says. Heartless look at me and they're like, 'Uh-uh.' And I'm like, yeah...lemons." I grinned, wondering when he would talk like a normal person.

I motioned, and Dominic handed me Zach, and I held him in my arms. I began walking back towards school, more interested in making sure he got the rest he'd need to be back on his feet soon. When I was nearly at the school, I noticed them walking behind me, moving faster than normal to try and keep up with me.

"How is Alex carrying him? Alex's like...five inches smaller and that kid has to weigh at least fifty more pounds." Rayne seemed to be quite a chatterbox, but she wasn't obnoxious. It was a pretty good combination.

"Alex is wicked strong for someone his size. And you're close. Alex is fourty pounds less than Zach. He's like...85 pounds or something." Jalisa seemed inclined to answer all of Rayne's questions, and I was happy enough to let her.

I frowned, and not for the first time, wished that I had Zach's psychic powers. I was bad at all the spells I was supposed to be learning. I could channel great elemental power, but I couldn't focus it, and it always came out in too great of a burst, or in a horribly weak pinpoint.

Maybe I wasn't destined for it. It was probably too much to ask anyway, to be able to have a keyblade and be able to do great spells. Zach stirred faintly, and I tried to walk more smoothly, but keeping my pace.

"Don't worry, Zach. You did great." I took him into the school and headed towards the back hall, glad that everyone else was in class. The infirmary was also surprisingly clear, so I got Zach in to Nurse Pruitt quickly. She took one look at him, then motioned for me to follow her to the room behind her office.

I put him down on the rather lush bed, and she cleared her throat. "Well, Alex? Are you going to tell me what happened, or should I just figure it out for myself?" She edged around me gingerly, and began taking Zach's temperature.

"It's nothing. He's burned out." She glanced at me, and tapped her forefinger to her temple. I nodded, and she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"What have I been telling you kids? You can't just go about using your powers willy-nilly. You've got to have some control. I swear, I need to get Jeffrey to finish that..." Her voice kept going, but I tuned her out. She was right, however. I wished her son Jeffrey would finish the device he'd been working on. It was supposed to be for me, but I knew from watching him what to re-wire to get it to work for Zach.

If I was right, the eyepiece would give Zach a measure of how much psionic energy he had left before he would burn out. It should also tell him how much power he would use each time he'd use an ability. He kept calling it a HUD, and I could pretty much guarantee that's what it would end up being.

Jeffrey was a downright genius. If I could get him to sell me the rights to that machine, I could begin getting them mass-produced, and help everyone around the world stay where they need to be. It would help with mana, health, and psychic levels. It was hard going by how you felt for each...dangerous, too.

"..And I don't see why he needs the copper-laced wires, anyway. They seem to be the most expensive things out here. And of course Love's Pharmaceutical Shoppe doesn't seem to carry them, so I have to wait for Jon to go and special-order them..." I didn't have the patience to listen to her, and Jalisa didn't seem to care to accompany me to the infirmary, so I held up a hand.

"How long, ma'am?" As usual, my voice cut through hers, and she paused, looking down at Zach.

"He should be fine before school lets out today. He just needs some rest. I'll let him stay back here until he's up, then I'll send him off to find you." She took a bundle of pads, held together with a rubber band, out of her pocket and picked out a small green pad. She hurriedly scribbled on it, glancing at her watch every now and then. "Take this to his teachers, and he'll be out of class. Of course, he'll need to make up the work, so he's not tagging along with you tomorrow. Nurse's orders." She signed the slip with a flourish, and handed it to me, smiling softly. "He'll be fine, dear."

I nodded, and took the slip, giving Zach one last, lingering look. I quickly turned away and headed out of Nurse Pruitt's office, stepping into the hallway. This was exactly why I didn't want Zach coming with me. I wanted him to stay here and leave a safe and normal, albeit slightly boring, life. I wanted him to settle down with someone and get a nice job.

I was lying of course. I wanted him to come with us, and I wanted to fall in love with him the way he'd fallen for me. I wanted him to make me happy, like I did for him. I wanted him to live out his dream and go on an adventure with Keyblade Wielders...even if he couldn't be one.

I...I blinked hard, and forced my mind into silence. Quickly, I walked around the school, got all of his teachers to sign the slip, and gave it to the attendance office. I walked to the front hall, and told Jalisa I was on my break, heading towards the library.

I walked into the back room, and settled down, crossing my legs and setting my hands on my knees, palms upward. Tons of thoughts ran through my head, but they slowed down, until I could sort through them one by one. Large thoughts like ways the battle strategy could have been changed for the better, and ways that the Heartless could have been destroyed ran through more slowly than smaller ones.

I tired of everything, though, and focused on a soft lullaby that I had heard once. The notes drifted through my head, marred by only one. I focused on the foul note and twisted it around, turning it with invisible fingers. I analyzed every aspect of it, and realised that it wasn't foul, every other one was. The melody was wrong, not the one note.

Carefully, I skewed every other note until they all were on the same octave and pitch as the first. Then, I played it again in my mind, and was in awe at the difference between the two. Strangely, the second version was the better, more beautiful, even though it was haunting.

I felt my internal clock shifting and realised I'd spent three hours in the library, composing a new lullaby. My legs were slightly stiff from being locked in the same position, and I saw where people had stacked different things on my hands. I chuckled, and set all the books, notepads, and different things down onto the table where I had been.

I unlocked my legs, and stood, slightly off-balance for a moment. Then I shook my head, clearing it, and went to see why no one had decided I was to be disturbed. The bell rang as I exited the library and kids flooded the hallways, so I stood back and set my gaze to steely, watching out for any Heartless to come into the halls.

Without Zach by my side for advance warning, I got a little jittery, whiping my head around rapidly. I realised that not having Zach was like not having my right arm...and I liked my right arm.

After the uneventful five minutes it took before the bell rang again, I drifted through the halls, glancing into classrooms until I was flagged down by a teacher. I sighed, and shifted my keyblade, hoping it would be slightly less noticeable. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to banish it while school was in.

I pushed the door open gently and stood before my favourite teacher, who was teaching a class of my some of my least favourite people. "Yes, ma'am?"

Ms. Trihey, who was my all time favourite English teacher, was still talking to the assorted bunch of hoodlums, rednecks, genii, and riff-raff in front of her, and didn't register my entering. She was about as tall as I was, and dressed fashionably for a teacher. Today she wore a one-piece skirt outfit, blue and white stripes that stopped right above her knees. She had flip-flops on, and her bee tattoo was showing on her right foot and ankle.

"You're going to need to focus if you want to ace the exams. When Alex comes in, he can show you how real writing is supposed to be done. He's my star pupil. And-he's standing right behind me, isn't he?" The kids had gone quiet when I had entered, an unfortunate side effect since I'd gotten my keyblade.

I smiled, and said, "Well, if I could, I'd blush, Ms. Trihey." I looked around the classroom, noting who would need more protection than others if Heartless jumped in.

"Well, you know it's the truth, Alex. You're the only one who switched the subject up, and you're the only one who had got a 600." We had to write on which was more important: talent or hard work, so I wrote on the importance of talent. In my eyes, it seemed that people with talent worked just as hard as those without, and that natural edge would always allow them to be first. Apparently my paper was the best, too.

"Yeah, I guess."

A kid in the back of the class coughed, and I heard him mutter some rather rude things about my keyblade, my body size, and many other things. I narrowed my eyes on the sounds, and the giggles that ensued, and saw my archnemesis Colby in the seat farthest away from the teacher's desk, surrounded by a bunch of his cronies.

"I'm sorry, Colby, I couldn't hear that. Care to repeat yourself?" He paled slightly, but then snorted, and spoke up louder.

"I said you're a fake sword swinging, class-skipping, teacher's pet of a fairy faggot. You and your faggy retard boyfriend Za-" He didn't get to finish the name, because I was standing in front of him, the edge of my keyblade against his throat, cutting off his air flow. My other arm was shaking with anger, and my vision had turned slightly red.

"Alex! Alex Dawneye! ALEX!" I heard Ms. Trihey in the background, but all I could focus on was Colby's face slowly turning blue in front of me. Then, I felt myself being pulled back, and I blinked several times, clearing my vision. Then I felt something heavy hit my head, and everything went black.

So, that's the end of Chapter 1! Stay tuned, because Chapter 2 will be out soon (if it hasn't been released already)! If you've any suggestions, comments, or general feedback otherwise for me, be sure to drop an e-mail to alexisdawneye ! I don't have the interwebs at my house currently, so Alexis checks it for me every time she uploads the latest chapters that I write when she goes to her boyfriends house. (Thank gods for Andre, eh?) Hope you've enjoyed it!


	3. KHA Descriptions

Kingdom Hearts Arisen: Descriptions

I realise that in my writing style, there are some descriptives left out. This is because when I write, my friends always tell me I'm a bit TOO descriptive. So, I've decided to have the descriptions of characters and locations put here, to allow you guys to have a good physical image to go with the words. It may be updated later, or I may add more. So, without further ado, let's do this!

Disclaimer: Any references to things other than Kingdom Hearts are not intended, as my friends have told me that Serendippity is a movie or some such thing. Once more, I do not own Kingdom Hearts, or Square Enix, or any other of these things, so I state once again that I'm just playing with the toys, and promise to clean them up before giving them back.

Characters:

Alex - The main character of the story, Alex is a progidy Wielder, although he can't access his full power. His hair is ebon black, one of the darkest shades humanly possible. Skin as pale as moonlight, he surprisingly doesn't look sickly. He stands at 5'2", rather short for his age, and rather underweight too, being only 85 punds. His left eye is green, and his right eye is blue, with thin, elegant eyebrows arching delicately over them. His limbs are small, with a slight layer of muscle on them, though *certain* people insist he has a six-pack underneath his numerous layers of shirts. He generally wears black and orange clothes, with different Oriental symbols emblazoned on them. He has small facial features, ones that would look more at home on a doll than a person. His digits are long and willowy, providing superior control over his weapon(s). His fighting style is very elegant, and reminiscent of Aqua's.

Andre - part of the Needle of Fate, he is one of Alex's close friends. His caramel skin is complimented by his small afro of curly black locks, and his eyes are a deep, chocolate brown with golden flecks around the pupil. He has elongated features, and has an eternal mischievous look on his face. He is tall, standing at 6'2", and his limbs are long. He has more muscle than Alex, but not enough to suggest a dedicated work out schedule. He generally wears sweatshirts and jeans, not much variation in his look. He fights very straight-forward, like Sora.

Dominic - part of the Needle of Fate, he is one of Alex's close friends. His mocha skin is complimented by a large afro of curly black hair, and his eyes are a verdant green colour, with golden flecks around the pupil. He shares many of his younger brother's features, but is even taller, standing at 6'5", and his legs are exceedingly long. His arms are a bit shorter, but still longer than average. He has muscle, obviously the result of long hours of slaying Heartless. He usually wears a Tee-shirt and basketball shorts, allowing him freedom of movement. He does have some formal kimonos, though, for special occasions. He holds his Keyblade like a katana, and battles like Sephiroth.

Jalisa - part of the Needle of Fate, she is one of Alex's closest friends. Dominic and Andre's youngest sister, she has light brown skin, and golden eyes. Her hair is straightened, and sticks up and out, giving her a wild mane of hair. She is shorter than her siblings, and her looks show it. Where her brothers have long, elongated features, hers are smaller. She also is much shorter, standing at 5'5". She lacks a definite layer of muscle, but she is intimidating enough to not need it. She has a small bust, and her hips aren't too terribly wide. She generally wears jeans and a Tee shirt. Her fighting style brings Ventus to mind, as she uses a back-handed style with her left hand, though she fights with her right in the exact same style...though with the keyblade facing the proper direction.

Rayne - part of the Needle of Fate, she is the newest of Alex's friends. Her skin is that perfect colour only obtainable by being of Oriental descent, and her hair is as black as Alex's, though hers has many red streaks throughout, and she wears it in a long waterfall down her back. She stands at 5'5", average height for a girl her age. Her features are rather nondescript, though her eyes are a brilliant shade of blue. She has long limbs with willowy fingers, and she has nearly no muscle on her body. She has a larger than average bust, and slightly wide hips. Her look is the most versatile, as she changes her look every other day. Her fighting style is reserved, as she is a strong battlemage. She awkwardly wields her Keyblade, though she casts her spells freely.

Matt - Alex's youngest brother. He is very short, and has platinum blonde hair. Going against Alex's wishes, he dresses in the "trendy" style of dress, wearing muscle shirts and low hanging shorts, with a ball cap placed on his head. He has light blue eyes.

Mayor - The Mayor of South Hill. He looks...well...official! His is slightly balding, his hair silver. He has friendly features, and a set of square spectacles precariously perched on his nose. His eyes are a steely grey. He generally wears suits and tuxedos, as he is a big supporter of the high-class style.

Nurse Pruitt - The head of the infirmiry in the high school. She is a large, friendly woman, making a great mother figure. Some would call her overweight, but she carries herself with a great grace. She has a short wave of blonde hair, and her eyes are a sparkling blue.

Ty - Alex's younger brother. He looks like a stretched out version of Matt, though he dresses much less outlandishly. He has wild, dirty-blonde hair, and dresses normally for a kid his age, wearing Tee shirts and jeans.

Zach - Alex's best friend. A telepath in training, he tags along with Alex in an attempt to access his full power. He has a short crop of raven-black hair, cut in the normal style for the military. He has sharp features, from his nose to his chin, where he has a small goatee that isn't fully grown in yet. He has tanned skin, as though he has lived on an island his entire life. His eyes are a beautiful shade of brown, and he has slightly thin lips. He has a thin body, but a layer of muscle on his arms, chest, and legs, showing where his psychic powers haven't effected his physical activities. He generally wears his own style of clothes, melding differnet styles to meet his needs. His favourite outfit is his trip pants matched with a black tee and his black striped hoodie. His fighting style is similar to Axel's, though he uses his telepathic powers instead of flame magick.

Setting:

School - South Hill High School is a large place. It is made up of three buildings, the main being the largest, and the two behind it taller, but smaller. It is made of an old brick, and isn't the best looking place around. It serves as the main location for the group to hang out, and do recon.

South Hill - The town where the first couple of chapters are based. It is a small town, with small businesses still on Main Street. It's not the most advanced town, but hey, it's home.

Alex's House - A small house set outside the boundaries of South Hill. Nobody really knows what it looks like, excepting for Alex.

Andre, Dominic, & Jalisa's House - A large house set near main street in South Hill. It's a loud, active house, and the group's main headquarters.

Zach's House - A mystery.

Rayne's House - A stately manor set outside the limits of South Hill, not far from Alex's house. Rayne seems to rebel from everything it stands for though, with her wild antics.

Theatre - Alex's favourite place in South Hill, it is an old building made of brick. He spends much time here rehearsing for the different shows he participates in. There's a secret about this place that will be knkown only to the Keyblade Wielders.

Keyblades:

Kingdom Key - Starter weapon for every Wielder. I...I really don't think I need to say more about this one. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE knows what it looks like.

Downfall - Jalisa's left key. The handle is in the shape of a hexagon, with sharp points. The blade itself is longer than average, with three different spires stretching out and joining together at the end in a wicked point. The 'Key' portion (the part that sticks out from the blade) is in the shape of a broken crown, with five different spokes forming the design. The second and third spoke have a large crack between them. The entire thing is coloured in dark blues, with light blues only around the handle.

Uprising - Jalisa's right key. The handle is in the shape of a square, with soft edges. The blade itself is shorter than average, with two spires stretching out of the handle, joined only by a small band of metal near the top. The 'Key' portion is in the shape of a crown, with five different spokes forming the design. Where Downfall is broken, Uprising is fully formed, and has a soft aura of power surrounding it. The entire thing is coloured in reds and golds.

Buster Blade- Andre's key. The handle is in the shape of a pentagon, with four large spikes around the edges, and the blade sticking out of the foremost. The blade is long, flat, and thick, finishing off in three sharp points. Small runes and symbols are etched into the blade in gold. The 'Key' section is three smaller versions of the blade, and are attached to each other by a filigree iron lace. The blade is coloured a deep iron grey, and the handle is a soft silver.

Meramune - Dominic's key. The handle is a strange shape, the actual grip open on the sides, with a hilt on the top and bottom of it, in the shape of an 'I'. The blade is extremely thin and long, barely an inch wide. The 'Key' portion is three curved blades, not attached to the blade itself, but floating of their own accord. The blade is completely black, and the floating blades are grey. The handle is red.

Fall of Empires - Rayne's key. The handle is a hexagon, the points sticking out, but the lines sunk back towards the actual grip. The blade is long, made of four spires that intertwine about themselves before joining together in a round formation. The 'Key' portion is in four pieces, the outer two sections full and the inner two broken. Each is in the shape of a large tower, though the inner two have been destroyed. The blade and spires are coloured burgandy, gold, white, and black, with each spire corresponding with a different tower. The handle is coloured gold.

Crown of Infinity - Alex's right key. This keyblade is pure ivory, and the handle is an oval. The blade is extremely long, made of two round spires that end abruptly. The 'Key' portion is three spikes, each in a strange shape. Each has five points, one on the very bottom, which stretches out for a short distance on each side to a point before widening out to two more points, then rising to the top for a wickedly sharp point.

Faded Dreams- Alex's left key. This keyblade is pure amethyst, and the handle is in the same shape as Meramune's. The blade is short, and is in a straight line on the edge without the 'Key' portion, and sharp waves on the other. The end of the blade is a sharp point, where the end of one wave whips around to join the straight edge. The Key section is a large, round blade, the ends connecting to the main blade at the points of two waves.

Serendippity - Alex's back/mid-waist key. This keyblade is pure gold, and the handle is a square. The blade is long, and unusual in that it has a 'Key' on both sides. The shape is uniform, a long, rounded rectangle ending in a point. The 'Keys' are in the shape of wings, each extending half the length of the blade.

Promise of Tomorrow - Alex's left waist key. This keyblade is pure ebony, and the handle is a circle. The blade is average, and is a single, rounded spire. The 'Key' portion is not attached to the blade, but is a blade in the shape of a halo, floating independent of the blade, constantly rotating against the blade.

Death of the Past - Alex's right waist key. This keyblade is pure silver, and the handle is a hexagon. The blade is average, and is three rounded spires, that spiral around each other. The 'Key' portion is not attached to the blade, but is in a strange shape. The three circle blades float around the spires at the top, the middle one larger than the other two. They constantly rotate.

True Desire/Eternal Flame - Zach's Chakrams. Forged in the aftermath of the release of the power that made Alex's keyblades, they are made of pure crystal. They were given to Zach as a gift, though they were meant to work alongside Alex's waist keys. True Desire is made of pure diamond, and this chakram has twelve spikes. The inner workings are very intricate, the swirling loops providing handholds inside of the outer loop, giving enhanced control over the weapon. It is thicker than Eternal Flame, it's counterpart. Eternal Flame is made of pure ruby, and this chakram has fourteen spikes. The inner workings are very elegant, the abrupt lines providing handholds inside of the outer loop, giving enhanced control over the weapon. It is thinner than True Desire, it's counterpart.


	4. KHA 2

Kingdom Hearts Arisen: Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts brand, any canon characters who may be referenced, or have any affiliation with Square Enix, Disney, etc. I'm simply borrowing the toys, and promise to clean them up before I give them back!

A HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PAGE 53,981; SECTION 8; PARAGRAPHS 3, 4

_The Queen of Dreams laughed, her mellodious twinkle belying her true, insane nature. "My dear, all will be under my dominion. I will put the entire world to sssleep, and then I shall rule! I will control the dreamsss, asss isss my right!" She advanced slowly on the Blade of Fate, who was cradling the dead Samurai Wielder in her arms._

_"The realm of Dreamsss isss mine to warp and twissst asss I pleassse. And you, my fair pretty, ssshall be the firssst to exxxperienccce the torturesss I have prepared for your world!" Her regal index finger was levelled at Tremula's head, and a thick white mist rapidly surged from the digit to engulf the other female's form. Although the Blade of Fate struggled against it, her eyelids grew heavy, and she was soon in a deep sleep._

I jumped up, blinking rapidly, my head still fuzzy. Zach sat in front of me, staring at me with a bemused expression. Ms. Trihey was behind him, her arms crossed, staring at me with her lips pursed. I blinked again, and then a wave of pain went through the back of my head, and I rubbed it, wincing at the contact from my hand.

"Serves you right, you know." Zach was talking. I kept rubbing, hoping to numb the pain. "You're better than him, Alex. Now, Ms. Trihey told me what he called you, and I admit, I would have given him a migraine from hell, but I don't think cutting off his breath with your keyblade was the right thing-"

"-Uh, no, it definitely wasn't!-"

"-To do." My eyes were closed, but I could hear the look Zach gave her. "You're a wicked keyblade wielder, Alex. And I mean that in the positive term...er...you know what I mean." I could almost feel his cheeks blushing. "Anyway, you're a wicked Wielder, and you're living the dream of nearly everyone in this school. He's just jealous of you. Now, I'm going to report this to Jalisa. You may get in trouble with the circuit Master for it, but I'll testify for you."

He got up and left, and I waited until he was gone before I opened my eyes. Ms. Trihey had moved to where he was sitting, and crossed her legs, giving me a disappointed look. I rubbed my eyes, and when I opened them again, she hadn't moved, looking at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, okay?" My voice was slightly hoarse, and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"I know you are, but it's not okay. Just because he's a boob doesn't give you the right to go and attempt second-degree murder." Her tone was kind, but it cut me to the core, and I wished that she would just yell at me. It was her kindness that really hurt, and I expect that she knew that. She just sounded so...disappointed.

"It wasn't even that he was insulting me...I can handle that. But..." I trailed off, not knowing how to express the medley of emotions that I had felt when Colby had neared the end of his sentence.

"It was that he started insulting Zach, too." I blinked, but otherwise kept my shock inside. She had hit it right on the nose. "I saw the transition on your face. You had everything under control while he insulted you. I could see the witty retort forming in your mind, and I could almost hear your razor-sharp tongue scraping your teeth trying to get out. But as soon as he said 'faggy', your eyes narrowed and your eyebrows came together. As soon as he said 'retard', you were drawing your keyblade, and while the word 'boyfriend' was coming out of his mouth, you were moving towards him.

"You scared me, Alex. I saw something in you that I've only ever seen once before. We had that project, remember? I assigned each of you to write a small paper expressing your feelings about someone you didn't like. Nearly everyone wrote about you, but you focused on Colby. I still don't know how he got into the class with you, but that's the public school system for you." I smiled slightly at that, but the memory was coming back to me as she kept speaking.

"Where everyone else had written two or three paragraphs, you got up with a five page, front and back paper on the reasons Colby was unintelligent, obnoxious, boarish, rude, and a general waste of human skin. You even passed out brownies and punch halfway so people would stay interested." She told the tale with relish, and I remembered that day clearly. That was when she had decided that I was one of a kind, no matter if I had the keyblade or not. "I chose you that day to do great things, Alex. But today..."

She trailed off, and I felt my eyes getting watery. I closed my eyes, abruptly stopping the flow before it started. Why couldn't she just scream and tell me what a horrible job I'd done? Why did she just rationalise everything I did and make me seem human? I shuddered at the thought of what Jalisa would say to me, and Ms. Trihey caught the gesture.

"Don't worry, Alex. I've already asked everyone else to just drop it. I've threatened a write-up if they say anything about it to you. The last thing you need is to be reminded of a mistake." She got up and walked behind me, patting my shoulder on her way to her desk. "By the way, in case you're wondering, I used the Brittanica."

I grinned at that. She had the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica separated into two books, and I assumed she'd hitten me with the first half. I heard her pen scribbling, and I stood up, heading towards the door, before I noticed. My hand flew to my shoulder, but my keyblade was missing. I quickly spun around, and then noticed it propped by the door.

"Who moved my keyblade?" As far as I knew, no one else could touch it. But then an idea hit my head, and I knew what she was going to say.

"Do I really need to spell it out, Alex?" The door closed on the last syllable, with me already out in the hall. I quickly slipped my keyblade up and over my shoulder, putting it back into the strap. I jogged down the hall, glancing into the various doors, but then saw Zach standing in the main lobby waiting for me.

I jumped over the railing of the second floor balcony, and landed behind him silently. "Trying to sneak up on me, Alex?" I smiled, knowing that I could have just walked down the stairs, but it was always an attempt with him. Even better than that, his tone was playful, meaning he had forgiven me. "Forgetting something?" He tapped his temple playfully, still facing away from me.

I walked around him, and noticed that his eyes were closed. He was still on watch, even though school had ended fifteen minutes ago. Seeing as he was my partner, he got to hang out with me as long as he wanted, and I would take him home when we were done. I was particularly proud that I had mastered my keyblade vehicle a day before Jalisa and Dominic. Mine was pretty cool, too. It was-

"Alex." Zach snapped me out of my thoughts, saying, "We're clear. Let's head on to HQ 2." We had three headquarters, two hidden in town, and a third one here. We could monitor all of the watch towers from them, and do a bunch of other cool things. Jalisa loved the security cameras, Andre loved the HD TVs, Dominic loved the sparring arena, and I loved our private library. Of course, Zach loved the high-speed internet connection. He's always been a bit of an internet bug.

I led the way to the secret door, underneath the staircase I had just opted out of using, and used my keyblade to unlock it. The dark coloured stone door slowly opened, a blast of cold air hitting me and Zach in the face with the dank smell of underground. A twisting spiral staircase led us down several stories, I believe at one point Jalisa has said we're a mile underground, until we hit the main corridor.

Seeing as we were prepared to house the entire student body, the labrynth we entered seemed a bit overwhelming, the Grand Hall large enough to fit two U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers in it, side by side. If you continued to the left, you would get to living quarters, and if you entered the large double doors directly in front of the entrace you'd go into the main eating quarters. To the right were leisure activities.

If you went to the centre of the Hall though, you would see where two Keyblades were crossed in a large 'X' in gold. All a Keyblade Wielder had to do was wish for the entrance to appear, and a final staircase would appear, taking you to the Control Room, where Zach and I were headed now.

As I approached the spot, the stones around the circular design began to shrink into the floor, light shining from a hidden origin. I took the steps quickly, hearing them began to rise up after Zach stepped off of them. When we had gone down about five rotations, an opening to the right appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

We walked in and the last of the stairs rose up, plunging us into total darkness. I knew that Jalisa's security system was scanning us now, determining our threat level and scanning our physical features. It was a checkup in a walkway. Instead of waiting patiently, like I knew I should, I snapped my fingers and summoned a small ball of witchlight. It was one of the few magicks I had really mastered, and one of my favourites.

The little pink ball of light floated above my open palm, a perfect sphere that glowed brightly in the darkness, illuminating the hallway we were in. I gestured and it moved to float above my head, leaving me a well-lit path. Zach and I walked down the hall together until he rushed past me, pushing the doors open with little ceremony.

Instantly, he ran to the small desk to the right corner, where three laptops were spread in a semicircle. He swept his fingers across all three keyboards, and the login chimes for Windows, Ubuntu, and Macintosh rang through the air for a moment.

Andre sat in the farthest corner, his fingers working the controls of some video game depicting a dashing young lad with a large gun, a tapping that only I could hear coming from the well-used buttons. Jalisa sat at the main desk, a circle with a slight opening to allow access to the inside of it, writing up the day's report. Dominic wasn't in the sparring circle, and sat in the same position I had taken in the Library earlier, meditating in the centre of a small rock garden.

I smiled. Any other person would have missed it, but I noticed that the pattern in the rocks around the column he sat on were completely unscathed. He had either jumped onto the platform, which was extremely unlikely, or had re-raked the entire thing.

Rayne sat on Jalisa's desk, talking to her animatedly and gesturing wildy with her hands. I was glad to see that she was settling in. I knew Jalisa would want to talk to me, but instead of doing the "responsible" thing, and "owning up" to my "actions", I moved to my corner and dropped into the duvan where my favourite book still lay from yesterday.

Well, I lie. I should probably say that it's the fourth volume of my favourite book. 'A History of the World' was like nothing we had learned in all of my Social Studies classes. It explained the truth behind all of history, and the struggle for control of Kingdom Hearts that had been the reason for nearly every war...ever.

I skimmed the pages until I found my place, and nestled into the words so artfully selected, I could swear I had chosen them myself. The pages underneath my fingers soon became the only thing that I was aware of, the rest of reality slipping away from me. I was caught in the past and became blissfully unaware of my surroundings, which was a rarity for me.

I was coming up onto the story of Narkalepset Prime, my favourite villainness. She was one of the first three Unversed creators, which was how she had earned the 'Prime' in her name. Her Unversed carried with them the threat of sleep, which may not have seemed so bad, but her powers allowed her to control anyone who was asleep. Since her death, any Unversed Creators who created the Sleep Unversed were named Narkalepset, in honour and reverence of the Queen of Dreams. The same thing happened with any Creators who could create Unversed of Destruction or Disease.

She was the most crafty of all the Prime, and had Khaos Prime and Bulleria Prime twisted around her finger. They had competed against each other for her favour, and as such, she had gained control over the biggest Unversed threat of her day.

Suddenly, the book was snatched from my fingers. I looked up, and was not surprised to see Rayne thumbing rapidly through the pages of the large tome with a confused expression. "What language is this?"

I swiped the book back, and replied, "Shavali." The book had been written in a language created by a young author who shared my last name. Alexis Dawneye had written the best selling trilogy, one that threatened to outsell the Harry Potter series, and was being pressured to expand the Shadowvale series.

She was also a Wielder, but one who did not fight the Heartless. Strangely, Shavali couldn't be read by anyone who wasn't a Keyblade Wielder, so it had become our go-to language for information that wasn't for the average person. Luckily, the normals hadn't caught on yet, and just thought it was a bunch of gibberish.

"Oh, cool. Anyway, Jalisa wanted to talk to you. Three things. One involving you, one involving Domincic, and one involving...er...me." She smiled, and waited for a reply, but I just stood up and walked towards Jalisa, with Rayne turning and quickly catching up with me. "So...why don't you talk?"

I shrugged, and responded, "Don't feel like it." She kept with my stride, and finally caught on to the fact that she wasn't going to get any more of an answer than that. Jalisa sat in the centre of her desk, drawing in a deep drag off of a fag, her eyes closed. Technically, she wasn't supposed to be smoking, but as a Wielder, she was allowed.

"What am I going to do with you, Alex?" I heard Andre's game pause, and Zach's rapid clicking slowed. Although I couldn't prove it, I was sure Dominic was listening, too. "Simply because you're upset doesn't mean you can attack someone you're charged to protect, no matter how much of a dick they act like."

"Well, if he's a twat, I can't-"

She cut me off by blowing smoke into my face. "And I can't believe you did it in the middle of a classroom, too! All day long I've quelled rumours that you're on the side of the Heartless, and said that you haven't taken your iron pills in the last two days." She shot a glare at me through a puff of the grey smoke, and I knew that she was aware I HADN'T been taking my pills.

"Now I could sit here and lecture you, but you're the only one here who has even the smallest gift in the field of writing, and I need help with my papers. So for your punishment, you're writing my assignment on the presence of true evil in Beowulf." She passed her USB drive to me, and said, "All the notes are on there."

She raised her voice, "Now the rest of you can come over here so I can talk to all of you." Almost instantly the rest of the team was in front of her, everyone knowing it would have to do with Rayne. "Now, I thought today we'd be able to go about getting our Specialisation done, but it seems that we've gained someone...and lost someone."

She sighed deeply, extinguishing her fag and lighting another in one quick movement. "Dominic?"

He raised his hand, and a flash of light preceded his keyblade appearing, although...this wasn't Kingdom Key. Apparently he had discovered his potential by himself, and Specialised in the old-fashioned way. "I call it Meramune." His deep voice was laced with pride as we all beheld the longer-than-normal black, grey, and red keyblade. Instead of spikes on the end, three circular blades spun around the blade. It looked like the weapon of a true samurai.

"So...you're back where you started?" Zach sounded disappointed, but at the same time ecstatic. The longer it was before I specialised, the longer he had to convince me to take him along. Jalisa nodded at him, and I sighed quietly.

"But, it's not a total loss." She tapped her fag on the edge of the desk, the ashes falling into a planter I had set there ages ago. "We have Rayne, so it's not like we're down any. And..." Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she held off on her news, obviously not going to spill her news unless someone asked.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's going on?" Rayne obviously had a curious demeanor, and it showed in her voice.

"My reports say that a new Wielder is going to be transferring to our school. Someone named Ichiro...er..." She squinted at the paper in front of her and said, "Damned printer. I can't tell what his last name is." She smiled, and said, "He'll be here tomorrow, and luckily, that's when the next Specialisation will be." She nodded, snubbing the filter of her fag into a small ashtray, saying, "He's already agreed to it, so we're finally getting out of here."

Zach cheered along with Andre and Rayne, though his heart wasn't in it. He drifted back to his desk, and began typing half-heartedly. I wanted to go comfort him, but I was too busy staring at the ground in shock. Tomorrow. Why did it have to be tomorrow?

-Four Hours Pass-

Jalisa locked the wooden door, and I glanced at the clock. After our normal watches, we'd end around 9:00, but it seemed that the giant Heartless today had been all we would see. It was eight, so I beckoned to Zach, signalling, 'Come on.'

He waved to Rayne, who was fishing around in her purse for her mobile. "Damnit!" She swore vehemently under her breath, and said, "Don't tell me I've lost it..."

"Rayne." She glanced at me, as though she had forgotten I could speak. "Need a ride home?" She smiled gratefully at me and nodded, dumping various beauty products back into her purse.

"Thank you so much, Alex. I thought I was going to have to walk. Heh, we know that I don't have much luck there, eh?" I smiled faintly, agreeing with her, and watched Andre and Jalisa climb into Dominic's car. He honked the horn, and they drove off, headed to their house. "So, where's your car?"

In response, I summoned my keyblade and threw it into the air. A blinding flash of light spread throughout the area, and then my vehicle flew down, stopping to hover in front of the three of us.

It was a litter, the kind used to carry royalty, like the Emperor or the Crown Prince, in China. Small rings of light could be seen pulsating from the four corners of the rectangle, keeping the thing afloat. Four posters of silk were drawn around it, providing a surprisingly reliable respite from the winds we would encounter.

Rayne began gushing, but I just pulled back the curtain and stepped in, sitting on one of the many cushions gathered around. As soon as Zach and Rayne had clambered inside and settled, I gestured with my hand and it lifted into the air, rising far above the school to break through the thick layer of clouds. "Who first?"

Rayne said, "I live about thirty minutes away by foot, just through those woods." She pointed over my shoulder into the forest behind the school, in the general direction we had found her. I nodded, and willed the litter to move forward. It did, moving with as fast as if it were settled on the backs of four cheetahs.

I suppose there was some conversation on the way there, but I took no part in it. Constantly I looked around, wary of any flying Heartless taking us by surprise. The sun was nearly finished setting, and while the bottom of the cloudy carpet beneath us was probably a pretty orange-pink, the top was a deep cerulean, something that I could stare out all day...er...night. Day? I shrugged it off, and concentrated on the trip.

When we'd traveled about ten minutes through the air, I swooped down to break through the cloud cover again. The temperature dropped much more noticeably than it had going up, and thankfully the curtains kept us from getting soaked. Clouds are water people, and unless you want to be soaked through to your skin, don't go through them without protection!

We emerged from the clouds outside of town, and Rayne looked around before ashamedly pointing at a large manor and saying, "That's it." Her voice was bitter, and as I pulled closer, I saw that large pillars held up her front entrance...and that they were fashioned in the form of keyblades. "They love the fact that I'm a Wielder." She scoffed and rolled her eyes, saying, "You can let me down here. Isis forbid that they see I have other Wielder friends. They'd tear you apart with _delight_." She put so much hatred in her emphasis of the word that I left it alone, letting her down about ten yards away from her manor.

She waved, and began walking towards her house, her shoulders slumped. I bit my lip, and decided that this Rayne girl would be an interesting story. I wanted to get out and run after her, but Zach's mum and da would be pretty upset if he was late, so I let the litter rise and soar away, glancing back once at Rayne kicking rocks down her driveway. "She'll be fine, Alex. She just doesn't like her family."

I nodded, knowing the feeling. I had long since cut off communication with my grandparents on my father's side, and still felt pretty bitter when someone mentioned them, or brought up anything to do with them. The litter could pretty much find the way to Zach's rendezvous point. His parents didn't want me going directly to their house, so they met me about a mile away and picked him up in their van.

Zach was quiet, scratching answers to his homework with a pen while I gave him the answers from my mind. We'd grown accustomed to these quiet conversations, and while it creeped most people out, it was just easier. _The capital of Swaziland is Mbabane._

He wrote down the word, and we continued. _1,253. Abraham Lincoln. The Statute of Limitations. Serendippity. Hitler. Camel hump. Tax Act of 1812. C Minor above A flat. Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenowitz. _He put down the last words, and closed the various books he had open, and began seperating his homework into different groups by subject.

The litter began slowing, and I sighed, flopping onto the nearest pillow and staring up at the canopy, the strange metal glinting softly in the low light.

"Something wrong, Alex?" Zach could have simply dug through my thoughts, but he tried to be respectful of the inner workings of my mind.

_ Dominic already specialised. I thought I would be the first. I got my travel first!_

"True, but you've always been a late bloomer, Alex. You were a midget until your senior year, then you shot up to just become 'short'. I mean, you didn't even start growing facial hair...oh wait, you still don't." I glared at him, and he grinned. "What? It's true?"

_Well, Dominic worked so well with the group...it's hard to believe he'll just be leaving. And facial hair is gross._

Zach raised an eyebrow, asking, "What the hell are you smoking? Q-Tip's not leaving. He's just going to wait until the rest of us..." He trailed off, a sadness passing along his face. I felt bad, and sat up, looking him in the face.

"Look, Zach-y. I know you're sad about not being able to come with us, but I can't risk you getting hurt. I mean, look at what happened today." He frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but I put my index finger up to his lips, effectively silencing him. "If I could trust myself to protect you, I'd bring you along in a heartbeat."

"But you're the best, Alex!" He pouted at me, his chocolate brown eyes melting my cold heart. "If you couldn't protect me, then I may as well throw myself out of the litter now, because nothing will." He turned slightly, as though judging if the distance to the ground from here would kill him. It would, of course.

"But Zach-y-"

"Don't just 'Zach-y' me! You have no idea how much it hurts me to see you getting ready to leave me!" He sounded close to tears. "And if you're going to just abandon me, then this friendship is over, Dawneye!" He stood and turned away, shaking with anger.

I grabbed for his arm, trying to sit him down, but he turned around and punched me in the jaw, sending me to the floor. He said, "Don't touch me!" Angrily, he stalked to the edge of the litter and jumped, ignoring my yelled pleas for him not to do anything hasty.

I hurrily crawled to the edge of the litter, which had stopped about a minute ago, and looked over. In the dying rays of the setting sun, I saw Zach plummeting towards a dark shape with two headlights, his parent's vehicle. He turned in mid-air, and pushed towards the ground, and began slowing. I blinked in awe. He was channeling his psychic power to push at the ground!

He paused directly above the ground and then stopped the flow of power, landing quietly on his feet. I saw him look back up at me, and then storm to his parent's van. He climbed inside and slammed the door. They immediately turned and left, leaving me four thousand feet up with a bruise forming on one cheek and a trail of water flowing down both.

I hurriedly turned the litter around and willed it to leave...just to get as far away as possible. Again it climbed through the air, and since Zach had left the curtains open I was soaked. I didn't care. I broke through the clouds the litter turning to the right and rocketing forward. I collapsed on the pillow and choked back a sob, knowing I had done exactly what I needed to...and hating myself for it.

Eventually I ran out of tears, and fell into an uneasy, sorrow induced sleep.

So, that's the end of Chapter 2! Stay tuned, because Chapter 3 will be out soon (if it hasn't been released already)! Unfortunately, I still don't have access to the glorious interwebs at my house, otherwise this would have been uploaded as of September 13th, when I finished it.

So, what's up with Dominic Specialising? Who's this Ichiro kid? Is Alex doomed to lose Zach's friendship forever? What about Rayne's mansion, why does she seem to hate it so much, and why does she keep mentioning Isis? Why is Zach acting like such a drama llama all of a sudden? These questions and more answered in Chapter 3! (Spoiler Alert: Alex gets over Zach pretty fast with the new guy in town)

If you've any suggestions, comments, or general feedback otherwise for me, be sure to drop an e-mail to alexisdawneye  or just message me here on FanFiction! When I go travelling, I always take my laptop, so I upload whenever I can. Alexis also checks it for me every time she uploads the latest chapters that I write when she goes to her boyfriends house. (Thank Isis for Andre, eh?) Hope you've enjoyed it!


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